Panel on The Economics of Pope Francis and the Caring Society held on April 3, 2018 at the 43 Annual APEE Meeting.

With his emphasis on service to the poor and care for the planet, Pope Francis commands the attention of not only the world’s 2.2 billion Christians, including 1.3 billion Roman Catholics, but also of people across the religious divide. In his 2015 encyclical, Laudato si’, the pontiff called for an open dialogue about poverty and the destiny of what he calls “our common home.” This invitation is the inspiration for the Independent Institute book Pope Francis and the Caring Society. The panel will feature four contributors to the book.

Sr. Fellow Ivan Eland appears on CNBC's Closing Bell to talk about President Trump's visit to England and Scotland. Trump’s trade policy and foreign policy are discussed as Trump prepares for a summit with Russian President Putin.

Sr. Fellow John C. Goodman appears in this Fox News Channel report on the rising costs of Obamacare premiums. About one million consumers are finding the cost of premiums too expensive and are opting to not have health coverage. The premiums on Obamacare are expected to rise again by 40% just before the November elections.

Sr. Fellow Ivan Eland appears on the Fox News Channel to discuss the Democrats' criticism of the federal agency ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Some are even calling for the abolishment of the agency.

Gun registration lead to gun confiscation is Europe during World War II. When the Nazis came to power in Germany and then invaded France, gun registration laws made it easy for the occupying force to take guns away from citizens. Halbrook discusses these policies his new book, Gun Control in Nazi-Occupied France: Tyranny and Resistance. The Second Amendment protects rights of Americans against such actions and Halbrook talks about recent calls for gun registration in the US.

T.R.M. Howard was a mentor to many better-known civil rights leaders of the 1950's and 1960's. Medgar Evers, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King were all influenced and helped by Howard, who was a Renaissance man. A doctor, entrepreneur, big game hunter and civil rights leader, Howard was a champion for rights of black Americans in the southern United States, risking his life to protect the rights of others. Howard's life story is told by David Beito and his wife Linda Royster Beito. David Beito is interviewed on the Jim Bohannon radio show.

Sr. Fellow Stephen Halbrook, author of Gun Control in Nazi-Occupied France talks about his new book with Lars Larson on his nationally syndicated radio show. Halbrook's book tells how gun registration in France led to gun confiscation by the Nazis when they overran France in 1940. The government of France had previously required gun registration, which made it easier for the invading Nazis to disarm the French citizens. Halbrook also talks about the history of the right to bear arms in the United States on the 10th anniversary of the US Supreme Court's decision to allow individuals to arm themselves in the landmark Heller case in the District of Columbia.

Senior Fellow Robert M. Whaples presentation at Acton Institute on May 17, 2018.